The practice of covering desirable swaths of beach with chairs and umbrellas is offensive. They are placed, often from early morning, so closely together that locals and others not patronising some beachfront businesses are made to feel as though they are invading a reserved area or ‘scotching’ among private articles placed on our public beach. It is inconvenient. It is inconsiderate. It is greedy. It is not to be encouraged.

One business, known as the Boatyard appears to engage in this practice. But according to other beach-based businessmen, the Boatyard is actively seeking to stop users of their facilities from engaging with operators of certain water craft. Statements attributed to a supervisor of the business suggest they are protecting patrons while wearing their armbands. What nonsense. They are bordering on holding people hostage after taking their money.

They at the Boatyard are playing on the vulnerability of their guests. Their…

9 responses to “Beachfront Bullies”

Boatyard has bad very bad reviews on TripAdvisor – the few good ones likely written by staff. They know NOTHING about tourism or customer service. But the other scummy beach where this happens is at Crane. Despite being a PUBLIC beach the ‘hotel’ there charges $25 (whatever) to use their ‘stairs’ down to it. Both best avoided. Go to Worthing or Oistins where you can mix with the locals.

Upon entry to the Boatyard, you are told that the BDS $40.00 paid is redeemable in food and drink and further that you may or may not get an umbrella or chair dependent upon availability. This means, that the BDS $40.00 does not entitle you to a spot on the beach! It cannot either because the beach is public space and is free! In fact the $40.00 does not even entitle you to a chair/umbrella (which by the way are being placed further left and right every day and the jete is pretty much out of bounds for locals). In the case then where a non-paying tourist and a paying tourist sit on the beach near the Boatyard, the Boatyard cannot insist that the non-paying tourist leave or furthermore that the paying tourist leaves for “associating” with a paying tourist. This is what they tried to do with those persons who complained to the Nation Newspaper the other day and were featured some time ago. Furthermore, telling patrons that they can’t go and pay for a ride on a jet ski whilst wearing their wristband is ridiculous-remember that the wristband only says that you’ve paid for food and drink and maybe an umbrella/chair! If your food and drink come to less than BDS $40 you don’t even get refunded the difference, so they could as well say that it includes the cost of sitting at their bar. The Boatyard’s policies are ridiculous and they need to be in their place where that is concerned.

Bajan jetski operators are among the worst behaved scum in the world. All misfits just looking to sell dope and screw white women. Could never police their own behaviour themselves as they just run wild on the sea. No respect for other boaters, swimmers or anyone interfering with their right to make a living any how they please. Taxi drivers not far behind…..right down to the ZR culture in the public service vehicles. If any jetski driver, taxi driver or ZR van driver behaved the way they normally do down here up in some country where people actually observe laws about driving, they would be locked up in a day. I am totally behind the Boatyard operators…. they have had a thousand run ins with jetski operators abusing and ripping off tourists, they had to draw a line in the sand somewhere. The rule is simple, if you want to go on a jetski, don’t come to the Boatyard….they can’t ensure the tourist will be safe when dealing with poorly educated louts. Believe me, they do stand up outside the business and tell people it is bad inside etc. etc.
Put it all down to policing…..Barbados is not an enforcement society….it is a society where all too often people get away with the worst type of behaviour because there is no price to pay for being ignorant. The politicians are leading by example….especially the speaker of the house who thinks he did no wrong……disgusting behaviour and by accepting it, Barbadians will always be doomed to ruled by self serving crooks who try to get away with never being held accountable for any wrong doing. Right from the very top of the heap down to the lowly jetski yahoo. Those types don’t deserve your support. At least the guy at the Boatyard probably employs 40 or more people and puts money (foreign currency) into the bank via credit card machines. The long jetski guy is just being his usual Bajan selfish guy and probably doesn’t ever bank money…..or pay tax.

@Marvin I visit Bim regular and have found the jetski guys quite polite …they ask if you want to hire and always reply “ok maybe tomorrow…look out for me I am number1234” sometimes they will have a chat with you and again even when doing this, I have never been offered drugs, so now the ZR especially and even the government buses all drive like they on a racetrack …absolutely insane, plus the music is so loud it gotta be doing damage to peoples hearing…agree they should be locked up

As regards the boatyard owner…he maybe employing a few people, but the beach is public and they out of order with their behaviour as well

but Marvin my experience of the jetski guys yes they noisy and can be a pain when you want a quiet day on the beach, but I don’t think they deserve the story you telling

Marvin may put it bluntly but the reality is addressing hard cold facts facing truth about certain bad trends out there! That anyo e running a tourism establishment like boatyard has tom face. Whether there are some good and bad..the bad have left a general negative hustle culture legacy

Hmm if the jetski guys are so busy dealing dope, maybe I will have to have a chat to them, could do with a little something to brighten up the day…best form of advertising is referrals…well done BFP posters for the recommendation. do you get a 10% discount if you mention “as seen the advert on BFP”